Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Seattle Amateur Scientist Helping to Unlock the Secrets of Slime Molds

I am fond of the titles “citizen scientist" and "citizen naturalist” because I believe in the value and in the honor of the designation.  Citizen scientists and naturalists on the front line of mushrooming have so much to offer and gain so much satisfaction from contributing to the knowledge of fungi.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons that I was so grateful to my friend Steve for sending me a link to the OPB article by Ian McCluskey, “Seattle amateur scientist helping to unlock the secrets of slime molds.”  This article introduces us to a amateur naturalist, Kelly Brenner, who has amassed a collection of slime molds:  “Roughly in the 200, 500 range, thereabouts,” she estimates, then adds: “and counting.”  Kelly has an appreciation of slime molds and commented that “Slime molds have a PR problem… they’re called slime molds and that’s not appealing and it’s not representative of how beautiful they really are.”

The Way through the Woods: On Mushrooms and Mourning

It seems appropriate to start off this year's postings with a salute to Lit Woon Long (author) and Barbara J. Haveland (translator) for my New Year's gift of the lovely The Way through the Woods:  On Mushrooms and Mourning.  What a way to start off 2022! 

In this little gem of a book the author embraces the loss of her husband, Eiolf Olson, with the help of the mushroom trail. 

All I had to do was follow the mushroom trail, even though I still didn't know where it would lead...Mushrooms provided me with a new perspective on things, not least when it came to making fresh sense of life.

But the book is more than an anthropologist's account of her journey of healing in the Norwegian forests.  It is also recipes and tips, thoughts, mushroom identification, mushroom history, trivia, fun facts, and quirky antidotes.  It is uplifting and inspirational!

 

 

Mt. Hood National Forest Mushroom Permits

Reviewing the regulations relating to mushroom harvesting is always a good thing before heading out into the forest lands.  Sites such as the one for the Mt. Hood National Forest can pinpoint closed areas as well as sections where fire damage and recovery efforts may be evident.  Importantly, you can find out the difference between regulations for mushroom gathering for personal use and for commercial use.

In the next couple of months, Mt. Hood will transform
itself into a glorious, snowy playground!

COVID concerns continue. Are there going to be mushroom shows this fall?

It's been another year influenced by COVID, and many of our usual mushroom fairs and shows have once again been cancelled due to safety concerns. 

As Fall slowly casts its spell on the landscape bordering
the Sandy River, our thoughts turn to mushroom shows!

Wildfires and Mushrooms: some thoughts

There is a lot of information online these days about wildfires and climate change, but a recent article by Claire Carlson on Sierra Nevada Ally really snagged my attention with its emphasis on mushrooms.

Trent Blizzard's photo captured this
burn morel in all its beauty!

Sharing Hope Jahren's book, Lab Girl

I have recently had the supreme pleasure of reading Hope Jahren's Lab Girl.  What a surprise it was!  I was truly unprepared for the music of her words and for her unforgettable descriptions of the natural and unnatural worlds.  The beauty of her prose and her obvious love of all things charmed me in ways that no other author has done ... ever.  She is a powerful teacher, a person who enlightens, reveals and reassures.

Dear mushroomer, I found myself reading Chapter 3 and then reading it again and then yet again, for it reintroduced fungi to me in a way that heretofore I had not been privy to.  I am forever altered by the clarity of her observation.

 

How the Oregon truffle bends humans to its will

Oregon Public Broadcasting enriches our lives in many different ways, and one of those ways may be the new offering "Superabundant." 

  

Leach Botanical Garden is offering mushroom classes

Every once in a while I pull up Nextdoor just to see what may be on the mind of my neighbors. It certainly came as no surprise to see that someone was looking for a mushroom hunting buddy, after all aren't we all dreaming of morels? The writer stated she was a novice but had been studying all winter! “If anyone wants to go together or lend a hand to this newb I’d love it!” There are certainly a lot of ways to begin your mushroom hunting journey and using Nextdoor was indeed an interesting path for me to encounter.

Beware of yellow-eyed blossoms.

Sure these yellow-eyed blooming grasses look innocent enough. But if you look more closely, you may just find yourself actually staring at the fungus Fusarium xyrophilum which is reported to infect two types of yellow-eyed grasses (X. setigera & X. surinamensis) growing on the savannas of Guyana rather than at an actual blossom.  The Xyris genus counts over 250 species and is widespread throughout much of the world. 

Is there a trickster in the grasses?

Mushrooms are popping up in the most unexpected places!

It’s a little too early here for spring mushrooms but not so for The Peacock Clock’s mushroom. What is that you ask?

Housed in the Pavilion Hall of the State Hermitage Museum, The Peacock Clock is a 10 foot tall structure created by the English jeweler and mechanic James Cox (1723-1800) of gilded bronze and silver. It is comprised of 3 life-size mechanical birds - a peacock, cockerel and owl - that are set into motion by a timepiece which is resting in a slot cut into the cap of a mushroom. The automaton was ordered by Prince Grigory Potemkin as a gift for Empress Catherine the Great and was transported to the Hermitage in 1781 where it resides today.

Currently the clock is set into motion only on Wednesdays. If you can’t make it to the Hermitage that day, check out the following YouTube presentation of the clock in action.  Don’t forget to look for the mushroom growing under the oak with a dragonfly delicately perched on the cap located at the 1:25 minute mark.

YouTube presentation from the State Hermitage Museum